melts have their downsides as well. The most immediate concern of ICV melts is the cost. ICV requires a treatment facility, meaning either a new facility must be built or an existing facility must be renovated to accommodate the new process. Both methods require considerable capital investment. Even after the facility is prepared for the process, ICV melts cost about $1,585 per ton of processed waste (3-4 times the cost of an SPV melt). This extra cost is due to the necessary safety precautions in the facility. For example, the melting process occurs at very high (1200 to 2000 °C) temperatures, and some of this heat is dispersed throughout the facility; so adequate cooling and ventilation are needed for areas where workers are present. Off-Gas Treatment While the contaminated mixture is melting, gases (called off-gases) are released, which are hazardous substances themselves. These gases are captured by a steel fume hood and sent through a treatment system that then removes about 99.9999% of the contaminants. Standard treatment procedures span from filtration to wet scrubbing (using liquid to remove gaseous contaminants), though the exact procedures depend on the gases being treated. Applications Hazardous materials are often very difficult to remove and treat. The contaminants might be seeped into the soil, contained within a sludge, or present within spent nuclear reactor cores. No matter where a hazard exists, each requires a different method of treatment and disposal using standard waste management processes. With geomelting, however, the treatment (melting) process is essentially the same for each batch, as is the glass produced, regardless of the contaminants in the mixture. Due to this versatility, geomelting is employed in many hazard-control operations. Organics GeoMelt is used to treat a variety of organic wastes including oils, pesticides and herbicides, solvents and persistent organic pollutants including polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), dioxins, and furans (GeoMelt is permitted by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) as an approved thermal treatment method for PCBs throughout the U.S. These wastes are carcinogens (cancer-causing substances) and often impair critical bodily functions (e.g. breathing) over time. The melting process destroys organic compounds because no organic materials are able to survive the high temperatures of the melt process. Inorganics Inorganic contaminants like heavy metals (toxic metals including mercury, cadmium, and lead) are released into the environment via industrial leaks and automobile waste. If left unattended, these inorganic hazards can deteriorate ecosystems and cause mental/physical illnesses